


A Starry Night Without You

by Serpex



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Attempted Murder, Blindness, Boxing, F/F, Fluff, Mikasa x Annie, Modern AU, One Shot, mikannie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 09:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20872193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serpex/pseuds/Serpex
Summary: Sometimes the best moments were those that lasted forever and felt too short at the same time. At least, that's how Annie felt. But, it was hard to keep those feelings inside for so long when the one she loved was lost long before she ever knew she loved her.





	A Starry Night Without You

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to JesterEddin on Wattpad for being a wonderful friend and making some of my favorite artwork! Follow them at jezter.eddin on IG. I can't even express how amazing they are. They inspired me to make this fic with their beautiful artworks. I thrive off traditional art, but it's honestly rare for me to stick with one certain art style for long. I follow and unfollow people more often than you'd think. But, every time I see jezter.eddin's art, I always find myself seeing a story unfold. Traditional art seems to be dwindling since so many people make digital art in terms of classic hand-drawn art (I'm not bashing, I just prefer traditional mediums). The amount of detail is beyond exceptional and so well cared for. There is a hidden talented person behind the story I have now written in turn now.
> 
> So, please check them out, and I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The sky is an infinite palette for the world's best painters. Only those who understood the forces beyond can cloud and color the sky. Whether it was the morning with the golden sunrise reaching across the land or the night clad with stars that seemingly popped out of nowhere in a silver twinkle, the sky held all resonance with the natural world. I don't know if it was the work of some higher being or if mother nature was gracing us with a beautiful sight, but I enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets that opportunity. Even worse, there are monsters who take it away. Some find joy in the suffering, the pain, and the loss. But misery loves company. Guilt and condemnation eat away at monsters until they succumb as well.

A monster to one person will become a monster to all.

It was the beeping I noticed first, a steady electronic heartbeat ticking across a backlit screen in a dark room illuminated only by small LED machine lights and rays of moonlight skipping across the walls. I laid there for a moment trying to remember how I came to at the hospital. It was when I found myself looking at a gold plaque that it all rushed back to me.

The flashing lights, the crowds, a sudden gunshot, and the screams; the match was supposed to be a clean one. It was me versus Bertholdt. While he was a big teddy bear in real life, his true talent came with boxing. We were facing off in the semifinals before one of us would go against the five-year champion, Mikasa Ackerman. The round ended with Bertholdt knocked out cold and Mikasa stepping up. Blood rushed through my veins right up from the soles of my feet to my numbing ears. There was almost silence as everything seemed to move in slow motion. The shouting dulled to a distant utter as she ducked into the ring, health and strength radiating off her form. We went to shake hands and greet for the first time. It was at that point I saw a flash of dirty blonde at the side. It was Reiner, Bertholdt's boyfriend. I could barely process what was happening until he clamored up himself and the barrel of the pistol was aimed at Mikasa. There was no bluff in his eyes, only rage. I knew that he wouldn't wait for any explanation.

He was going to fire.

Instinct is a funny thing. It always lingers on your shoulder like a cat waiting to jump at any given notice. And at that moment, I could have lunged at Reiner, grabbed the gun, and maybe no one would have been hurt. He was closer to me, and I could have held him back before security could arrive. Instead, instinct threw away my reflexes and pushed me towards Mikasa. I grabbed her trying to move her to the side, but a bullet travels in the blink of an eye, instant and deadly. There was wetness that splashed on my face, an ear-piercing scream, and the collapse of my body on Mikasa's. I don't remember what happened next. Like a thunderstorm, it felt like my memory just faded away. If it was a film, we just hit a blank white screen with no picture, no sound, nothing.

The door creaked open revealing a man who seemed to be the doctor. He noticed me awake and rested his clipboard down his side. He flipped on a few light switches and set them in a dim setting.

"Good to see you're awake. I'm Dr. Erwin Smith. You probably have a few questions for me, but by protocol, I'm required to ask you a few first just for grounding sakes," he greeted. He had a warm smile and carefully rolled over on a wheeled stool, attention fully on me and his papers now settled on his lap. "Can you state your name, date of birth, and recall the last thing you remember?"

"Annie Leonhardt, March 22nd, 1998. and the last thing I remember is... The boxing match was about to start. Then... There was a gunshot. But everything falls blank after that. Sorry." Erwin nodded and scribbled a small note on the margin of the clipboard.

"It's nothing to be sorry for, Ms. Leonhardt. I think it's better that you know that your memory matches up with our records," he said in a lighter tone. "Is there any certain place you'd like me to start to fill in the blanks?"

"I guess a clear idea of what I know works. What happened after my match with Bertholdt?"

"Hmm, yes. Mr. Hoover was quite shaken knowing what happened. He was only mildly conscious and aware of what his fiancé was doing. The moral dilemma between him and Mr. Braun is quite the struggle. In any case, Mr. Braun assaulted Ms. Mikasa Ackerman who would have been killed had it not been for you," he explained.

"You mean, she's okay?" Some part of me was both relieved, but Erwin seemed to be withholding some darker side of it. But I didn't want to pry too much. It wasn't my place to ask about another patient.

"Both of you suffered injuries, unfortunately. However, you interfering with the bullet's path made it so she did not die instantly. Had it completed its original trajectory, there would have been no chance of survival. Thanks to you, she got to wake up another day," he praised. "Since that day, a week has passed making it Saturday. In your case, you had a heart attack shortly after from what we were able to gather, and it seems your body went comatose. It still left your basic bodily functions like breathing intact, so life support wasn't needed. Our team was predicting you would wake up after two weeks but being one week ahead is a plus in my book. Your physical condition truly sped up the recovery. I imagine being an athlete certainly requires quite a strict regime. Any questions for me?"

"When will I be able to leave?" I followed up. Erwin looked over the clipboard briefing over some information and flipping back and forth a few times before writing some more stuff down. Finally, he shoved the pen into those giant doctor pockets and stood up.

"Seeing as you're awake now, we can have a nurse look over your condition and check your vitals. That I.V. can also be removed now as well. We'll have a meal sent up to you and make sure you're able to keep it down before doing one final checkup. If everything goes well, you'll be free to go. Would you like to call anyone to pick you up or meet you?"

"Thank you, but I'm afraid I live alone, and relatives are all out of the country. Are any of my belongings here? I can just get a cab back to my place." Erwin raised his hand.

"No need. Your belongings were gathered by the staff and left in the closet over here. And for transportation, we can provide it through a private service. I understand your status may cause trouble while you're this vulnerable." Kind and tiny little wrinkles curved from his eyes as he gently helped me sit up into a more comfortable position.

"Thank you," I mumbled rather bashful towards his generosities, but I knew I was in no place to refuse them.

"You're very welcome, Ms. Leonhardt. The call button is on your right if you need anything. I'll send in my nurse in a few moments. I hope you have a wonderful day and a painless recovery." With that, he sauntered out of the room. I let out a sigh of relief that I wasn't aware I was holding. It was unbelievable for a moment. Everything felt like a dream. Like a bad dream that started off well and turned sour, I felt like everything should have faded, and then I would wake up on my futon bright and early. My pet parakeet would pester me for breakfast, and I'd make a small plate of toast for myself. I'd watch cars race by the window while the radio brought morning news. The thought of the bad dream would just disappear.

But it wasn't a dream.

Suddenly, the door creaked open and a bubbly nurse with shining eyes met mine.

"Good morning, sunshine! What's popping? How are you feeling? Good, tired, woozy, got to piss, shit, or eat?" she quickly rattled off.

"Um, I'm fine. Just a little hungry I suppose," I mumbled.

"Alright, that's fantastic! Most either have a ravishing appetite or want to rip out their guts and spread them all over our walls and floors," she replied casually. I was beginning to think maybe she would make me vomit.

"W-Who are you?" I slowly asked. The nurse paused as if having an epiphany, eyes bulging behind her thick frames. Then, she turned wildly and pointed to herself.

"Name's Hange Zoe, a head nurse here and the lovely commander handsome's girlfriend. He's the big soft brute from earlier," she explained as she pulled out a blood pressure pump. She pressed it a few times and watched the dial slowly increase.

"Is it normal for couples to work together? I would imagine that it would cause turmoil during work," I said. Hange shrugged and released the pressure from the nozzle.

"120/78. That's fairly good for now. And to answer you, I suppose Erwin and I are lucky. Even if we do fight, we keep our work separate from it. Our goal here is to provide the best care for our patients. If we let our personal lives into it, we would be signing up for failure. What about you? Any certain person this little boxer fancies?" she mused with a mischievous look glinting in her eyes. I suddenly thought of Mikasa's face and blushed. I turned away as Hange laughed. "Alright, you don't have to tell me. Now, let's get that IV out of you and get some food. I hope you don't mind just some basic rice and corn. It's only three in the morning so the cafeteria staff doesn't really have much on deck for our purposes. No allergies, correct?" She skillfully slid the tiny catheter out that I barely felt it until the blood began to run. She pulled a large band-aid out of god knows where and applied it.

"Just seasonal allergies," I answered. She chuckled lightly as she deposited the used items into the proper bins.

"I wish we could all be free of those," she grumbled. The door creaked open again as some more people handed off the food to Hange. She kept a good company for a while until I was all good to go. The discharge papers were filed reasonably quickly. By 6 AM, I was out the door and ready to go. Hange walked me to the exit where Erwin was waiting. True to his word, a private cab was waiting patiently.

"Take care of yourself, Ms. Leonhardt," he bid.

"You better be ready to kick some ass once you recover, honey!" Hange followed up. Erwin's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he gasped and stared at his nurse with a most disgusted and offended look ever.

"Language," he scowled. Hange only cackled and gave him a kiss on the cheek and began walking back into the hospital. Erwin apologized to which I disregarded. It made me chuckle a little. Their dynamic was adorable and admirable all the same.

Heading back, it was something to ponder. I was always invested in different hobbies even as a child when my dad made me. Even after moving away, I joined a gym and got into boxing. Nine years was a long time to dedicate to a passion, but the thought of a true companion never crossed my mind. Sure, I had my fair share of flings and roommates, but no one was ever long term. Commitment is a scary idea. Some people made it seem like the second coming. It was grace from above, a blessing, a miracle, a light in the darkness; In truth, I was welcome to that idea. It was the inevitable fate that came alongside it. Loss. I never knew my mom. I never really knew my dad. I didn't even truly learn to live until I left my home. A few years of homelessness, a million loose-end jobs, a dead-end ditch, and then I finally found my life in boxing. It would never leave me until I left it. But people leave. You leave people. Nothing is ever forever. Why would I sign up for a future that I already knew I couldn't change? But seeing Hange and Erwin like that, I envied that life, that happiness, and that love.

Dim lights filled the closed lavender curtains. I was relieved as the pleasant smell of pumpkin spice filled the air.

"Armin! I'm home. Where are you?" I called out. I made my way towards the soft chirping at the back of the house, only to pause when I saw a little movement along the floor. "Well, well, what's my little Candy Cane doing here?" I picked up the little albino milk snake and I swore she had this goofy little noodle smile on her face. She quickly tried to go for my armpit where I was the warmest. She didn't seem unhealthy, so she must have just gotten out like the little escape artist she is. Sure enough, the latch on her enclosure was loose. Next to her in a much larger enclosure was Pride, the cutest and most gentle rainbow python in the world. She poked her head out from a large sheltered hide box, acknowledged my presence and then curled back under. I laughed a little as she missed and accidentally knocked into her water dish. She did a little hiss and then finally hit home. She was a tiny bit of a picky eater unlike Candy Cane, but I loved her all the same. She was a rescue that my neighbor Armin and I received from a shelter that couldn't provide for. Armin already had twelve snakes of his own plus three dogs and a cat. I only had Candy Cane who I raised from the egg, and Cloud, my blue parakeet. I could care for her, except for the moments I was at my matches. Armin, being a self-employed programmer, enjoyed coming over and keeping the place under control while I was away.

Unfortunately, this was much longer than I thought I would have been out. I was about to call out again when I saw a little coconut blob sitting in the corner. Armin was curled on my lazy chair with an open book in his hands. Cloud was perched on his shoulder seemingly resting. He must have pulled an all-nighter again. Picking up the book, I could tell it was a guide to some programming language I didn't understand. I placed a small piece of string marking his place instead of shutting it like a monster and placed it on a side table. I nuzzled Cloud's head gently with my hand and roused her from her slumber. She muttered a tired and lazy 'Hello' before moving to my hand. I properly put her back in her cage where she fell onto her felted perch and went back to sleep. Something tells me she tried to stay up with Armin since he thought talking with her would make her a genius parakeet.

We all knew she was more interested in the overzealous treats she was getting for it.

I walked to the kitchen and searched around for a moment in the fridge before finding my target. Walking back to the room, I took a deep breath as I readied myself in front of Armin. I'm sorry to every single higher being out there because I am about to become an asshole beyond assholes. I sprayed a generous amount of whipped cream onto his hand and pried his reading glasses off his face. No going back now.

"Wake, up, Armin!" I smacked his forehead.

"What the hell?" He grabbed his head and immediately groaned. "Welcome back, Annie. I was going to ask how you were, but now I don't want to." I snarkily laughed as he was half eating and half wiping off the whipped cream.

"Well, thanks for taking care while I was away," I followed up. I handed him a pitiful tissue as repentance which he rolled his eyes and returned the smile.

"It's no problem. But, really though, how are you feeling? You were out for quite some time. I heard about what happened from Bertholdt," he said.

"Better, but he actually stopped by? Even after what happened with Reiner?" I asked incredulously. Armin shirked his gaze for a moment before meeting my eyes.

"They aren't together anymore. Reiner is in jail and most likely on his way to prison. Bertholdt is in ruins, but he can't stand knowing someone he respects was nearly murdered because of his loss. He blames himself even though he couldn't have known how Reiner was going to react. That reminds me, um, your opponent: Mikasa Ackerman."

"What about her?"

"She wants to meet you, officially anyway."

"I'm not really in much condition to fight until I know I'm stable," I stated. Armin raised his arms up and shook his head.

"No, no, no. I mean, she doesn't want to face you in the ring. Er, well... More so, she can't meet you in the ring anymore. But she sent over the address of her rehabilitation facility. She wants to speak with you as soon as you feel up to it," he explained.

"Rehabilitation?" I mimicked. Armin shirked away trying to dodge the question.

"She got roughed up more than the officials let on. But she sent a message here while you were still down under. Anyway, is there anything you need help with while you're back? I took care of the kids here for this morning already, although you may want to restock on bird feed. Cloud has been scarfing down through her portions quite a bit." I huffed a little but waved him off.

"You've already done so much for me," I mumbled. He gave a toothy smile before gathering up his books and other miscellaneous items. He scribbled down the address from his phone onto a piece of paper and shoved it into my hands unwillingly. I bid him farewell, and I finally got around to laying on my bed. I took a deep breath finally basking in familiar satin sheets and fluffy donut pillows that could wrap my body. After getting comfortable, I looked at the address. Should I really visit? What would she think of me? No one goes to rehab for no reason. Did I do something bad when I tried to save her? Was I a hero to her or only a martyr? I was scared to go, but Armin said she wanted me to come. Would it really be okay?

I ignored the piece of paper, pushing the address out of my mind for a whole week. And yet every time I crumpled it up and tried to toss it, I would just pick it back up and straighten it out. It was a plague staring at me in the face at every corner taunting me until I gave in.

Somehow, I wound up getting into a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants before marching to the address slinking across streets until I was in front of the building. It was a little area nestled in the middle of downtown surrounded by so many other buildings that almost seemed to cave in over it. It seemed like a strange location considering how much hustle and bustle there was. I stepped inside and realized exactly why it was fine to be where it was. Even though it was just the foyer, the whole place was seemingly soundproof. It was a simple minimalistic style decorated lobby with a single check-in desk at the center with one receptionist and a door on either side. A dark raven-haired man was sitting at the desk typing away at a desktop computer. As I got closer, he peeked over the counter and paused his clickity clacking.

"Well, hello to you. Here to visit, apply, or waste my time?" he asked monotonously. I grimaced as he glared at me. Someone was not happy, and for the record, he didn't seem like such a happy go lucky guy anyway. He seemed like the type of guy you had to dump just from lack of personality.

"Visit," I answered in an equally exasperated tone. Maybe, this wasn't such a good idea. Damn gut instincts. "My name is Annie Leonhardt. I'm here to see Mikasa Ackerman." The guy raised an eyebrow and suddenly stood up. He was... Short. Like much shorter than I expected. He stared at me for a good minute before sitting back down.

"You better not do anything drastic. If you do anything to hurt my sister, I will make it my personal responsibility your bones get grounded beyond dust," he threatened. I was surreally aware now that his name tag read 'Levi Ackerman' as he prepared a visitor's pass. Apparently, Mikasa had an asshole brother who was also quite protective. Admirable, but get a social life, dude. If you can't even pretend to be welcoming, no one would want to come here even if they needed to.

I didn't need to say any of that though. Technically speaking, it wasn't my business.

"I would never dream of it," I said. He nodded approvingly and handed me a badge.

"Head down the hallway to your right. Her room is 143A towards the back."

"Thank you." He waved me off and returned to his desktop. As I rounded about the desk, I could see why he was so stuck up.

Fucking Solitaire.

The hallway was warmly lit going back with beautiful acrylic and oil paintings lining the pastel walls. As instructed, I found room 143A and lightly knocked. There was a slight shuffling coming from inside. A faint 'Come in' came from within. I took a deep breath bracing myself before turning open the doorknob. I was immediately taken aback at the sight I saw. There she was in the flesh. She was facing away with her back turned to me. She sat on the edge of a bed and just stared at the wall. It was a surprisingly empty room with only a single chair in the corner and one bedside stand. It was cleanly aside from the unkempt bed. She was dressed casually, but that wasn't the kicker.

She had what looked like a blindfold around her head and bandages underneath covering the upper half of her head.

"Who is it?" she asked.

I cleared my throat and answered, "It's Annie."

"Leonhardt?" she slowly turned her body and stopped in the direction of the chair but was slightly off-center, and I could finally see why. The bandages came just over her ears and wrapped around her eyes.

She couldn't see.

I took a seat and shuffled over slightly so that I was directly across from her.

"Sorry, it took me so long to stop by. I just..." I trailed off not knowing what to say. I just what? Forgot, ignored you, doubted the truth, didn't want to or was I afraid? Mikasa seemed to understand and just nodded.

"It's okay. I'm just glad you came. I wanted to properly say I'm sorry you got caught up in that. I hope you weren't injured too much," she amended.

"I'm alright now. I think Reiner was angry I beat Bertholdt so close to the end. He took things a little far for being pissed, but in a way, maybe I should have thrown the match."

"No!" I jumped when Mikasa raised her voice. "Don't ever tell yourself that. There is nothing you should and should not have done. Listen, we all must forget about other people sometimes. And in the heat of a match, that's one of the best moments no matter how many times you go through it. You go through that moment for yourself. When those lights are around you when you're face to face with someone else who has equally as much on the line as you, where those cheers are invisible under that release, can you really say that you were never meant to live through it? Even one thrown match can throw away everything you've worked for with it. I've seen what you can do. I've seen what you have already done! You have an amazing career laid out for you and paved by your own blood, sweat, and tears. Don't let any of that go to waste, Annie." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Somehow, it made me tear up a little.

"I don't know what to say," I admitted. Mikasa laughed.

"You don't have to. Just be proud of yourself. We can only control ourselves and not someone else's actions. You should be happy that you can still box properly," she quietly said. I blinked profusely at her statement.

"What do you mean? You'll be able to go back too, right? I mean, it's not easy to recover, but you can go back," I urged, but Mikasa shook her head.

"I'm afraid it's over for me." She slowly began to remove the blindfold and undid her bandages. I let out a sharp gasp. Her eyes were almost completely clear. There was a grayish-blue hue left where her dark irises should be. It was only a mere pigment of what they were. It hit me why Mikasa said she could never box again.

"You know, Annie, I'm grateful to you. You saved my life, and I'd rather be alive like this even if I'm blind. Anyway, I'm glad you were able to come out of this unharmed," she said, sorrow hugging every word. "I'll be fine. There are other things besides boxing. Thank you for coming, though. It means a lot to me."

"Yeah... No problem," I replied. "I guess... I guess I'll see you around." She smiled.

"Keep your head up, Annie. I'll see you."

I decided then and there as I left the center that yes, I would be seeing her again. There was something that made me want to come back. It was like sheer determination was bursting from behind a walled dam. In the next few days, I dropped by again. Levi seemed rather surprised and weary the more I showed up, but he soon learned to expect me. I was sick when the winter months came around, and he even dropped by with soup claiming Mikasa wanted him to, but she had no idea when I asked after I recovered from my cold. I suppose even he had a heart somewhere. Mikasa and I grew closer. When she was finally able to gather her strength, we went out together a little. I felt a little proud to be her eyes. When I got to training again, Mikasa joined and listened in and could point out my mistakes. It quickly became apparent how inquisitive she was to boxing. She even knew where I was lacking just from hearing my movements. Somehow, she insisted on coming even though I could see she was hurt that she couldn't see. But I grew to understand what she meant all that time ago.

Being in the ring was freedom. Somehow even in the crowd, I could always see her and she was watching even if she couldn't see. She gave me strength, spirit, and completed my soul.

It was a cool spring night when I had just come home after dropping Mikasa off at her house where she roomed with Levi since her release from the rehabilitation center. Her physical therapy was finally complete, she could navigate with ease without sight. We had gone out of town, so Armin was helping with the kids again. I walked in and collapsed in a chair tired from the day's events. He was feeding Pride and was pulling back his tongs just as she caught onto her prey.

"Seems like you had fun," he mused.

"We visited an art gallery. Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun describing the stuff to Mikasa. I think I pulled words out of my ass, but it was worth seeing the smile on her face. I'm not even embarrassed I compared a man's cheek to a tomato rose baboon's ass," I gushed. Armin laughed and rolled his eyes as he sanitized all the feeding supplies and set them away properly.

"Someone's in love," he taunted in a singsong voice.

"What?! No, I'm not!" I cried in protest. Heat flushed my cheeks as I hid beneath the comforts of my hoodie.

"Sure, you're not..." That goddamn smirk showed no sincerity. Freaking coconut dick. "Well, I have to get back to my own noodles and company, so I'll leave you be. Goodnight... Lover gal."

"Shut up, Armin! Goodnight!" Oh, he is such an evil coconut dick...

But the thought was jarring. I burrowed my face into the armrest of the chair. God, it really was obvious now. I tried to think about what it would be like if I couldn't see Mikasa anymore. Before I knew it, tears were rolling in gross salty globs down my cheeks.

"Fuck," I muttered to myself.

"Fuck!" Cloud repeated. I shot my head up and pointed.

"No, no, no. Shh, that's a bad word," I corrected.

"Fuck!" she said again. I groaned. She might not be able to say much, but she needs to not pick up on some words, even if it was funny. I tried to block out the thought that I loved her, but it ate away at me. I woke, or rather, I zombie walked my way into the world of the living the next day. The afternoon rolled over, and I couldn't stop myself from making my way to her residence. I hesitated to knock on the door though. Something made me stop, but I shook my head. So what? I love Mikasa. That doesn't change anything about how I should act towards her.

I let my arm fall slack against my side. Who was I kidding? This changes everything.

"You're such an idiot," I grumbled.

"True that." I whipped my head around to come face to face with Levi. I gawked as he had that bored look on his face. How long had he been standing there? "Are you going to keep standing there like a confused duckling, or are you going to move to the side so I can get in my house? If you're looking for Mikasa, I'm afraid she's not here right now. She's got a visit to a specialist and our uncle is taking her right now. You're welcome to stay if you want. I'm off work today, so I'll be getting some grilled cheese ready for dinner. It's not necessarily the best, but it's sustenance."

"Oh, um, I'll take you up on that offer," I responded. It's kind of made me relieved that in the moment that Mikasa wasn't there. It gave me a little bit of time to think of what I wanted to say to her. I guess my uneasiness was quite apparent since Levi half ushered me into the head of the table and sat to my right. He placed two hefty servings of gourmet quality grilled cheese.

"It's slices of garlic bread from Sasha's bakery and fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. It's a little fancier than your typical grilled cheese, but it's more fulfilling. Eat, and then I expect to know exactly what's bugging you. Don't even try to shirk away. Holding back your thoughts, hopes, and regrets only make things worse in the future," he explained. I raised a brow in his direction.

"What are you? My shrink?" I taunted. Levi rolled his eyes and bit into the food.

"Hey, I'm just trying to extend my wonderful companionship and have a sensible conversation. Excuse me for being a social butterfly," he defended.

"You are not a social butterfly."

"I'm selectively social."

"Sure, you are." The lightheartedness was comforting and brought a slight smile to my face. I began to eat and was shocked at how good it was. I could see Levi smirking a little when I made quick work of my food.

"You know, now I know I'm a good cook," he said proudly. "Mikasa always says my food tastes like shit, so seeing that you've really downed it, I can officially say I'm a genius."

"Oh, get off your high horse, Levi!" I shouted, but we were both on equal grounds now. Levi cleaned the dishes up in record time, and suddenly produced two cups of black tea.

"So, do you want to start talking about why you're so nervous today? Or are we going to continue our staring contest?" he asked. I shifted in my seat and found the carvings in the table to suddenly grow quite interesting. "You're avoiding the inevitable, Annie. Speaking up sooner is better than later." I let out a long sigh. He was right. He knew it as much as I knew it that he was stubborn and patient all the same. I wouldn't be leaving the table until I got up. I gave in to his demands. Slowly, my head leaned down onto palms and squeezed my eyes shut.

"I, um, I like Mikasa. Like, really like her." I waited for the outrage, for the ridicule, the laughter, and the mockery. I physically braced myself for whatever was about to come. But, there was nothing. I slowly peeled open my eyes only to see Levi calmly drinking his tea. He seemed deep in thought, and I felt unsure whether or not that was a good thing or not. He leaned back for a second before setting down his cup and raised a brow at me.

"Was that all?" he slowly asked. I didn't reply and only sheepishly turned away. Levi huffed and shook his head. A little pebble sank into my chest worried that he might have been against my forthcoming. What if he didn't approve and never let me see Mikasa ever again?

"It took you long enough."

I paused. I slowly met his gaze to which expressed a very amused look.

"You knew already?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I probably knew shortly after seeing you with my sister all the time. And for the record, she's extremely fond of you too."

"Really?!" I beamed at him before letting out a hoarse cough and tried to hide my excitement.

"That first day you came to visit, I checked up on Mikasa once you had left. Do you want to know what she did? She was face down on the bed screaming into a pillow. When she was done, she said, "Levi, I think I love her." I honestly thought she was delusional at first. I mean, it was rare for her to have contact with many people after going blind. I figured it was just a little attachment or clinginess. But you've seen how it is whenever you're both together. I would be a monster and give away what little humanity I possess if I were to take that away from her. So, simply put, you have to tell her. Mikasa is strong, but she's too selfless when it comes to her own happiness. She wants the best for you, but... Well, what if she's the best out there? Fate never clocks in twice. And looks like, you'll get your chance now."

"I- What?" And sure enough, a beat-up car rolled into the driveway. I could see a tall thin ratty man helping Mikasa out and walking towards the house. The door slammed open making me jump, but Levi suddenly had a scornful look.

"We're back, runt! Yer gonna love this, little man. Our lovely Mickey is as healthy and fit as a fiddle like always." Mikasa appeared out of nowhere and raised a sharp leg straight up his groin. Uncle man fell to the ground. "Impeccable aim as always too," he groaned. Levi just rolled his eyes.

"Kenny, be courteous, will you? We have a guest at the moment," he said. Mikasa perked up at this and promptly shoved Kenny into the wall to which his protests were ignored. Levi patted me lightly on my shoulder and began to haul the grown man like he was a sack of potatoes. I navigated Mikasa outside to the porch so we could talk without being disturbed. Mikasa seemed to sense something was up and didn't say too much. We both stood leaning over the porch rail. I watched as the sky was turning darker. The first few peeks of the world's greatest stars began to poof into existence. It was like seeing snow falling from the sky except these ones stayed in the sky forever. All of a sudden, my vision was obscured as a certain someone poked her head over mine.

"What are you going to do now that I blocked the view of the sky?" Mikasa spoke. I swallowed away the nervousness I felt and let it swirl in my gut.

"I think I'll be okay because now I can see the universe in your eyes." She gasped a little before going back to leaning on the rail as well. She buried her face into a scarf and looked like an adorable little hamster. But she also smiled at that and became much more alert. Even though she couldn't see, her eyes were still beautiful. It was like the milky way with an aurora dappled along her irises and yet, it had a rich deepness that I could get lost in. She mumbled something, but I couldn't make it out.

"What?" I sputtered. She wriggled out and pouted a little.

"I said sorry I was out," she suddenly changed the subject. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. Did you have any plans for today? I don't remember if we had anything."

"Ah, no. It's more rather there's something I've been meaning to tell you." There was no going back now. Mikasa faltered for a moment growing a little concerned but I took her hand into mine to ease her. "I can't sugarcoat this or make this conspicuous for you. Mikasa... I like you. I know we haven't exactly known each other for a lifetime or even a few years, but I can't live without you in my life. I could give a million fucks to a million people. There's an infinite number of stars that shine in this world, but there's one star that is brighter than any other. You made me who I am. You changed me that day I first met you, and you raised a star from the dust. And I never ever want to spend another starry night without you. Mikasa, will you be my girlfriend?" Mikasa was shocked. She backed away from the rail for a moment pulling her hand away from mine. She opened her mouth to say something but slowly closed.

A sinking stone grew heavier. I was scared. Did I do it wrong? Was I too direct? I thought Levi said she liked me too. Was I─?

"Okay." I blinked profusely and it was like someone pressed pause to my brain. I had to buffer what she said for a second. After what seemed like forever, I finally found the smallest voice to rise from the silence.

"You mean it?" Mikasa nodded and threw her arms around me and pulled us close together.

"Annie Leonhardt, I want to be your girlfriend." I couldn't find the words to reply. I had to choke back tears, but it did nothing to stop them from falling in gross globs. Mikasa laughed and wiped them away. She just held me there for some time until I calmed down. I eventually scooted closer until we were just cuddling under the pale sky. Maybe things would work out after all.

The sky is an infinite palette for every soul in the world. Those who understood the forces beyond could mold and bring flesh to seemingly intangible creations. The natural world resonates through every fiber of the earth, sea, and sky creating a trail to the stars.

Sometimes, even monsters follow that path. And through the sky, they are reborn hand in hand with an angel that leads them away from the darkness. A creature of darkness can always become a guardian rising high in the sky leaving their own trail along their canvas. Often, the trail collides and intertwine until the angel and the guardian becomes one entity.

And in that collision, a star is born.


End file.
